Ventilated safety goggles

ABSTRACT

The invention is for safety goggles to protect eyes of a user of the safety goggles. The safety goggles include a lens and a frame with a bridge. A goggle chamber is formed between the lens and the face of the user. The safety goggles have a lower ventilation assembly that admits air one either side of the bridge. The safety goggles also includes an upper ventilation assembly at an upper portion of the frame. Air enters the goggle chamber through the lower ventilation assembly, heats near a nose of the user and exits the goggle chamber through the upper ventilation assembly. Each of the lower and upper ventilation assemblies cover a corresponding lower and upper air path in such a manner that allows air to pass through the corresponding air path while preventing solid projectiles and splashed liquid from having a direct line of trajectory to the eyes of the user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/328,303filed Dec. 20, 2002, which is hereby expressly incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to eye protection devices andparticularly to safety goggles that have ventilation to prevent fogging.

2. Description of the Related Art

People wear safety goggles and other protective eye wear in a variety ofwork environments to protect their eyes from solid projectiles, dust andsplashed liquids. A problem that arises for certain types of safetygoggles is that the safety goggles tend to form a fog on the inside ofthe lens and obstruct the vision of the wearer.

The typical solution to fogging has been to employ the use of anti-fogcoatings on the lens, and augmenting the coating's performance byventilating the ambient air that exists in the goggle chamber. This twocomponent system minimizes the possibility of fog forming on the lens.Ambient air ventilation helps to prevent fogging by preventing heatbuild up in a goggle chamber formed between the safety goggles and thebody of the wearer. However, when the safety goggles are provided withair ventilation, one must ensure that the ventilation mechanism does notprovide a path for projectiles, hazardous liquids or dust particles toenter a goggle chamber between the eye and the safety goggles.

One problem encountered with safety goggles of the existing art is thatthese safety goggles do not provide sufficient air circulation tocomplement the lens coating and keep the safety goggles free of foggingand reducing heat accumulation. Air currents through the goggle chambershould cause the water vapor to be removed from the goggle chamber,thereby lowering the relative humidity. Previous designs for safetygoggles have also not recognized that the human face has variations intemperature and have not properly accounted for these variations indesigning safety goggles.

It has been established that in a typical goggle design, heat tends toaccumulate in the area surrounding the wearer's nose.

To this end, a need exists for safety goggles which are simple indesign, protect the eyes of the user, and which are inexpensive tomanufacture. It is to such safety goggles that the present invention isdirected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the safety goggles constructedin accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the safety goggles depicted in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the safety goggles depicted in FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of section 4-4 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of section 5-5 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of section 6-6 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the lowerventilation assembly shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the upperventilation assembly shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of section 9-9 taken through the lensof the safety goggles shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a user wearing safety goggles 10constructed in accordance with the present invention. The safety goggles10 have a detachable unitary lens 12 attached to a frame 14. Althoughthe lens 12 is shown to be unitary in FIG. 1, it is not important thatthe lens 12 be unitary and two lenses could also be used. Furthermore,the lens 12 could also be permanently fixed to the frame 14.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a pair of attachment assemblies 16 arelocated on opposite frame lateral portions 18 for attachment of aresilient flexible strap 20. The strap 20 fits over the head of a userand urges the frame 14 against the face of the user. For each attachmentassembly 16, the strap 20 fits through two slots 22 and 24 separated bypost 26 defined in the frame 14, as best seen in FIG. 3. Although theattachment assemblies 16 are shown to be two slots 22 and 24 defined oneither side of a post 26, the resilient strap 13 could also be attachedto the frame 14 by rigid fasteners, such as rivets, by an adhesive or byother suitable means.

Referring again only to FIG. 1, the safety goggles 10 may optionallyinclude a secondary pair of glasses 28 attached to the frame 14 by abracket 30. The secondary pair of glasses 28 includes a secondary frame32 and two lenses (not shown). The lenses can be prescription lenses,sunglass lenses, or any other type of lenses. The secondary pair ofglasses 28 enables a wearer of prescription glasses, for example, to usethe secondary pair of glasses 28 as prescription glasses while wearingthe safety goggles 10. The bracket 30 is attached to the frame 14 at abridge 34 of the frame 14. The bridge 34 rests on the nose of the user.

FIGS. 2-8 show various views of the safety goggles 10, the frame 14 andthe lens 12. The lens 12 has tabs 36 that fit into slots 38 to provide a“snap-fit” for the lens 12. In a preferred embodiment, the frame 14 ismade of a plastic such as a rigid polymer. Examples of rigid polymersinclude polypropylene, polyethylene, or k-resin. In other preferredembodiments, the frame 14 is made of a pliable metal, or a mixture ofplastic and metal. The lens 12 is typically made of a transparent,flexible plastic. The lens 12 has sufficient flexibility for the user toprovide the snap-fit of the tabs 36 into the slots 38. Although the lens12 is shown to attach to the frame 14 by way of tabs 36 and slots 38,the lens 12 may also attach to the frame 14 by other suitable means,such as by an adhesive or by removable fasteners such as screws, orclamp(s).

As best shown in FIG. 4, the safety goggles 10 have a lower ventilationassembly 40 and an upper ventilation assembly 42. In one preferredembodiment, the frame 14 is constructed of a flexible material toclosely conform to the face of the user. A space located between theface of the user and the lens 12 is defined to be a goggle chamber.

The lower ventilation assembly 40 extends between the frame lateralportions 18. For the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, the lowerventilation assembly 40 includes holes 41 formed in the frame 14.However, the holes 41 could also be formed in the lens 12 or between thelens 12 and the frame 14.

Again referring to FIG. 4, the lower ventilation assembly 40 is locatednear a frame lower portion 44 so that air entering the goggle chamberpasses close to the cheekbones of the user and away from the face of theuser as it passes through the lower ventilation assembly 40. Thus, thelower air path 59 is directed rearwardly from the frame 14 such that thecheek of the user shields any splashed liquid from directly entering thegoggle chamber. The lower ventilation assembly 40 also includes a lowersplash guard 43 to prevent splashed liquids from bouncing from the faceof the user and entering the goggle chamber. The frame lower portion 44cooperates with the lower splash guard 43 to define a lower air path 59from the goggle chamber to the ambient air. In one preferred embodiment,the lower vent portion 44 utilizes a three-corner offset geometry toprevent the direct path of any particle from breaching the lower splashguard. Corner 41 a, protrudes down and intersects the direct line thatexists between corner 41 c and 41 b. This design conforms to the truedefinition of “indirect vent” as prescribed in ANSI Standard Z87.1-200X,section 8.9.2 “Indirect Ventilation.” Line 41 d denotes the end of thelower splash guard, and the area beyond this line is considered theinternal goggle chamber.

The upper ventilation assembly 42 is located near a frame upper portion45 and includes an upper splash guard 46 to keep splashed liquids fromentering the goggle chamber through the upper ventilation assembly 42.The upper splash guard 46 forms a trough extending laterally fordraining away any liquid which enters the trough. A channel 48 ispositioned slightly below the upper splash guard 46 and slightly outwardfrom the face of the user. The channel 48 is located to receive anysplashed liquid that advances past the upper splash guard 46. Thechannel 48 and the upper splash guard 46 are sloped away from a centerof the frame 14 so that any liquid that passes the upper splash guard 46and collects in the channel 48 drains away from the center to the framelateral portions 18. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the upper splash guardand the channel 48 drain to a basin 51 and through drain holes 53. Thedrain holes 53 are designed to be positioned just above and slightlyforward from an ear of the user of the safety goggles 10.

One or more slits 50 are defined in a first wall 52 that extendsupwardly from the channel 48. A lower portion of the first wall 52defines a portion of the channel 48. The upper splash guard 46 isdefined between the first wall 52 and a second wall 54. The second wall54 extends upwardly from a horizontal portion 56 of the upper splashguard 46. The second wall 54 has an outside surface 58 and an insidesurface 60. The inside surface 60 fits against the brow of the user inthe embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-9.

A crown portion 62 of the lens 12 cooperates with the upper splash guard46 and the channel 48 to restrict splashed liquid from entering thegoggle chamber. Both the channel 48 and the lens crown portion 62 extendbetween the frame lateral portions 18. The lens crown portion 62 has aleg 64 extending for a portion of the distance between the frame lateralportions 18 in order to further restrict splashed liquid from enteringthe goggle chamber. The upper ventilation assembly 42 defines an upperair path 57 for air to exit the goggle chamber. The air path 57 conveysthe “tortuous path” concept of the labyrinth vent design to minimize thepossibility of liquids breaching the upper ventilation assembly 42.

It has been observed that the human face has an area of maximum heatconcentration near the nose. This heat is transferred to air passingthrough the lower ventilation assembly 40 by convection. The heating ofthe ambient air entering the lower ventilation assembly 40 causes theair to rise and exit the goggle chamber through the upper ventilationassembly 42. Thus, an air flow path is established to draw ambient airinto the goggle chamber through the lower ventilation assembly 40 andout of the goggle chamber through the upper ventilation assembly 42. Anymoisture in the goggle chamber generated through skin of the user istransported out of the goggle chamber by the air flow.

The lower air path 59 and the upper air path 57 are tortuous orserpentine paths so that there is no direct line of trajectory into thegoggle chamber from a liquid splash or a solid projectile generatedoutside the goggle chamber. Furthermore, because the air flowing throughthe lower ventilation assembly 40 or the upper ventilation assembly 42must be turned by some portion of the lens 12 or frame 14, any dustparticle entering the lower ventilation assembly 40 or the upperventilation assembly 42 will collide with the upper or lower ventilationassembly 40 or 42 and surface tension will act to hold the dust particleto the upper or lower ventilation assembly 40 or 42.

FIGS. 5-7 show embodiments of the safety goggles 10 that include agasket 47 for providing a more compliant seal between the safety goggles10 and the face of the user. The gasket 47 is made of a moldable,pliable compound, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), such assantoprene. The gasket 47 also provides more comfort for the userbecause the gasket is made of a softer material than the frame 14.

In a preferred embodiment, the gasket 47 is formed as part of a two-shotmolding process. In the first shot, the plastic is put into a frame moldto form the frame 14 of the safety goggles 10. The plastic is allowed tocool and harden to provide a surface on the splash guard 43 againstwhich the gasket 47 may be formed. In the second shot of the moldingprocess, the moldable, pliable compound, such as TPE is put into agasket mold to form the gasket 47. For the gasket mold, the splash guard43 provides at least one of the molding surfaces of the mold. When theTPE, e.g., and plastic cool, the TPE and plastic form a chemical bond ata gasket/frame interface 49 shown in FIG. 7. The lens 12 is preferablyformed in a lens mold separately from the frame 14 and assembled to theframe 14. The safety goggles 10 are completely assembled when theresilient strap 20 is attached to the safety goggles 10.

In yet another embodiment, the gasket 47 and the frame 14 are formedseparately and an adhesive is applied at the gasket/frame interface 49.Next, the gasket 47 is brought into contacting engagement with thesplash guard 43 and the adhesive is allowed to dry to attach the gasket47 to the splash guard 43.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the upper ventilation assembly 42 forthe safety goggles 10. The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 differs from thatshown in FIG. 4 in that the channel 48 has an upper horizontal surface55 that prevents liquid in the channel 48 from being sloshed into thegoggle chamber through the slits 50.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lens 12 is spherical, aspherical or cylindricalin shape along the viewing area 70 of the lens 12, and is typically flator planar along lateral portions 72 of the lens 12. Although the lateralportions 72 are typically flat, it should be understood that othershapes of the lateral portions 72 can be used. The lens 12 changesthickness such that the thickest portion of the lens 12 is in the areanear the bridge 34 and tapers so that the thinnest portion of the lens12 is near transition zones 74 close to the lateral portions 72 of thelens 12. The transition zones 74 are the regions in the lateral portions72 of the lens 12 where the curvature changes from the spherical,aspherical or cylindrical shape in the viewing area 70 to the lateralportions 72 in a continuous manner. In one preferred embodiment, foreach of the transition zones 74, the radius of curvature of the lens 12increases from the radius of the lens 12 in the viewing area 70 toinfinity in the lateral portions 72. Other shapes of the transitionzones 74 can be used.

In accordance with the present invention, the transition zones 74 arealso positioned on the lens 12 beyond the peripheral vision in primarygaze and in an extreme periphery with maximum lateral gaze. Thetransition zones 74 are ninety degrees or more from the primary gaze(with the eyes looking straight ahead) in order to prevent thetransition zones 74 from being in a field of view of the primary gaze.The transition zones 74 are positioned in the extreme periphery ofvision with the maximum lateral gaze (the eyes looking as far to oneside as is possible).

The following are the design specifications for one embodiment of thelens 12.

Component 1—spherical viewing area 70 Front surface radius: 3.850 in(97.79 mm) Front surface curvature: 5.41 Diopters Back surface radius:3.824 in (97.13 mm) Center (maximum) thickness: 0.070 in (1.78 mm) Edge(minimum) thickness: 0.055 in (1.40 mm) Total refractive power: 0.00Diopters

Component 2—break or transition zone 74 (i.e., wrap area) Break startdistance from center: 2.900 in (73.66 mm) Break end distance fromcenter: 3.375 in (85.73 mm) Thickness: 0.055 in (1.40 mm) Front surfaceradius: varies from 3.850 in (97.79 mm) to ∞ Back surface radius: variesfrom 3.824 in (97.13 mm) to ∞

Component 3—lateral portions 72 Temple start distance from center: 3.375in (85.73 mm) Angle with respect to frontal plane: 93 deg Thickness:0.055 in (1.40 mm) Front and Back surface radii: ∞

One skilled in the art will recognize many advantages of the safetygoggles 10. For example, the lower and upper ventilation assemblies 40and 42 are indirect in nature such that no direct line can breach thelower and upper ventilation assemblies 40 and 42 without changingdirection. The upper ventilation assembly 40 is designed to provide atriple redundant system that requires encroaching liquid to breach twobarriers, and overcome a strategically located drainage system beforeentering into the goggle chamber. The first barrier uses the geometry ofthe lens 12 and the frame 14 to block liquid from the goggle chamber.The second barrier is the channel 48, and the third barrier is theunique drainage system which is designed to channel any liquid that maybreach the first barrier away from the goggle chamber. By sloping thechannel 48 and the upper splash guard 46 toward the temple area,encroaching liquid is not allowed to accumulate to the point that itwill breach the channel 48.

One further advantage of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-9 is that thesafety goggles 10 can be formed using a molding process that does notrequire extensive assembly because the lower ventilation assembly 40 andthe upper ventilation assembly 42 are formed once the lens 12 isattached to the frame 14. Designs for other systems have used severalpieces to form the ventilation systems. The frame 14 of the safetygoggles 10 of the present invention is molded in one shot and does notrequire that a worker manually strip the safety goggles 10 out of theframe mold. This in turn allows the safety goggles 10 to be formed witha relatively shorter molding cycle time.

From the above description, it is clear that the present invention iswell adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantagesmentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. Whilepresently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described forpurposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changesmay be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the inventiondisclosed and as defined in the appended claims.

1. A lower ventilation assembly for safety goggles, the safety gogglesbeing worn by a user to protect eyes of the user, the safety gogglesincluding a frame, a lens, and a goggle chamber defined between the lensand a face of the user, the frame being molded in a one shot wherein thelower ventilation assembly is formed by cooperation of the frame and thelens, the lower ventilation assembly comprising a lower splash guard,wherein the lower splash guard cooperates with a frame lower portion todefine a tortuous lower air path from the goggle chamber to ambient air.2. The lower ventilation assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower air pathis directed rearwardly from the frame such that a head of the usershields any splashed liquid from directly entering the goggle chamber.3. The lower ventilation assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein the splashguard prevents splashed liquid that bounces off the face of the userfrom entering the goggle chamber.
 4. A lens for a safety goggle toprotect the eyes of a wearer of the safety goggle, the lens comprising:a front viewing area; a lateral flat region; and a transition zonepositioned between the front viewing area and the lateral flat region,the transition zone being positioned more than ninety degrees from aprimary gaze direction.
 5. The safety goggles of claim 4 wherein thetransition zone is positioned in an extreme periphery of a maximumlateral gaze direction.